GLASGOW fight boss Alex Morrison has challenged Highland heavyweight Gary Cornish to put his reputation on the line against Edinburgh cruiserweight Stephen Simmons.

And Morrison is ready to gamble £10,000 on Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Simmons emerging victorious from the battle of the Scottish big men of the ring.

Cornish, who stand 6’ 7” tall and scales 252 pounds, dwarfs Simmons by several inches and nearly four stone, but Morrison is convinced that his man would overcome his rival’s huge height and weight advantage.

Bothe men are undefeated, with 25-year-old Cornish having racked up his 13th consecutive win nine days ago when he stopped Croatian Jakov Gospic inside four rounds in Sunderland.

Simmons, 28, followed up 24-hours later with an even quicker KO at the Gorbals Leisure Centre when he floored Serbian Jovan Kaludjerovic in the second round to record his seventh straight win.

Morrison said: “I’m prepared to offer Cornish £1,000 a round up to £10,000 to fight Simmons in what I believe would be a credible contest. But Simmons would win hands down, in my opinion.”

Simmons added: “I reckon that I would beat Cornish easily. I’ve had fewer professional bouts, but I’m far more experienced overall.

“He had a very limited amateur career while I boxed all over the world at the highest level and beat some of the best amateurs around.

“Now I believe I would beat any cruiserweight in the UK, but Cornish is still learning the game.

Simmons in action last year at the SECC (Photo: Craig Williamson/SNS Group)

“He’s a bit of a novice, fighting journeymen who don’t have much of a chance against him.

“Although I don’t have a big enough frame to step up to heavyweight, that wouldn’t stop me fighting someone bigger.

“And I’ll fight Cornish anytime and anywhere he wants – in the back garden, if necessary. It’s up to him.”

Simmons is a Born Again Christian, but he insists that his religious beliefs do not bring him into conflict with boxing.

He explained: “God gave me a gift and I need to use it to the best of ability without going out of my way to inflict unnecessary pain on my opponents.

“I do what I have to do to win and I don’t have a problem squaring boxing with my religious beliefs.”

But it’s extremely unlikely that Cornish’s manager Tommy Gilmour will sanction the proposed showdown, as the Inverness fighter is on the path to an eventual British heavyweight title shot.

Cornish is due back in action next month on the undercard of a Frank Maloney promotion at London’s York Hall – 24-hours before Ricky Burns defends his world lightweight crown against Mexican Miguel Vazquez in a unification bout at Wembley Arena.

Meanwhile, experienced Greenock super-featherweight John Simpson has been nominated to challenge Welshman Gary Buckland for his British title.

The British Boxing Board of Control has ordered purse bids for the bout, which is expected to take place in England sometime in May.

Simpson, 29, the current Celtic champion, formerly held the British and Commonwealth featherweight titles and is also managed by Morrison.